The current conventional method for cleaning, sterilization and storage of contact lenses generally requires chemicals. Chemical cleaning and sterilization is both inconvenient and can cause adverse reactions in users with sensitivities to the chemicals. The inconvenience of selecting and purchasing chemical solutions which are compatible with the particular lenses and do not cause adverse reactions in the users, over long timespans, leads to users sometimes running out of the solutions and/or using incorrect solutions, which can lead to infections and/or adverse reactions in the users. Inadequate maintenance practices also shorten the useful life of lenses. Bacterial and viral populations in and on the lenses can develop resistance to chemicals. In addition, the requirement to use specific chemicals in specific order can lead to errors by users, which again lead to adverse results. For example, failure to properly clean lenses prior to chemical sterilization can lead to incomplete sterilization in areas where mucus and protein buildup can shield bacteria and viruses underneath those layers from the sterilizing chemicals, creating danger of infections and irritation of the eyes. Reliance on chemical methods is unreliable on a systemic level.
There is a need for compact, simple, reliable apparatus and methods which are essentially failsafe and easy for ordinary consumers to use, and which avoid growth of chemical-resistant bacteria and viruses.